Abstract
Understanding how the gut responds to food has always been limited by the available investigatory techniques. Previous methods involving intubation and aspiration are largely limited to liquid-only meals. The aim of this review is to describe how MRI has allowed analysis of the processing of complex multiphase meals. This has demonstrated the role of physical factors such as viscosity, fat and fibre content in controlling gastric secretion and motility. It has also allowed the description of changes induced in small bowel water content and the role of osmotic effects of poorly absorbed carbohydrates such as fructose, sorbitol and mannitol. Intestinal secretions can be shown to be stimulated by a range of fruit and vegetables and the effect of this on colonic water content can also be measured. This has been used to demonstrate the mode of action of commonly used laxatives including bran and psyllium. The wealth of data which can be obtained together with its non-invasive nature and safety makes the technique ideal for the serial evaluation of the impact of different nutrients and drugs in both health and disease.
Highlights
Imaging the gut using Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven to be a powerful new tool in understanding how the gut responds to the complex, multinutrient, multiphasic meals we typically consume
We recently showed that the laxative properties of rhubarb are associated a marked in postprandial small bowel water, which is followed by an are associated with acolon marked increase in postprandial small bowel water, whichsmall is followed by an increase in ascending
MRI has opened up some exciting possibilities allowing non-invasive assessment of intra-gastric processing of complex foods and intestinal fluid distribution in response to both food and drugs
Summary
Imaging the gut using MRI has proven to be a powerful new tool in understanding how the gut responds to the complex, multinutrient, multiphasic meals we typically consume. MRI by contrast can image and quantify the movement of liquid/solid mixtures both within the stomach and the small and large bowel, irrespective of their viscosity. The earliest MRI studies were focused on the stomach which provided clear analysable images. This selected review will use studies mostly from our own laboratory and from others to describe how food alters intraluminal content in the stomach, small and large intestine
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